This 4-week, fast-paced workshop is designed for graduate students (2nd year or later) who are on the cusp of publishing their science and have a strong desire to get their messages out beyond the ivory tower. Students will better understand the latest research on effective science communication and engagement; learn tools for developing clear messages about complex research findings; and practice talking about what they do – and it why matters – in clear, lively terms. 

The Arboretum is home to thousands of plant collections and species that since the 1950s have been managed and mapped using handwritten records on paper. But, that’s about to change as the UW Botanical Garden is in the process of creating a georeferenced database and digitized mapping system for the 238-acre park. Read more about this development at this KOMO News story. 

When it comes to maintaining sea ice in the Arctic, it seems, there are good cyclones-which bring cooler air and snow-and there are bad ones-which break off giant chunks of ice. Learn about the differential effects of cyclones on Arctic ice in this Nature news article, which cites APL’s Axel Schweiger and others. 

The public is invited to attend the official dedication of the New Zealand Forest, the most significant addition to the Washington Park Arboretum in decades, on September 15. First conceived nearly 10 years ago, the 2-acre New Zealand collection will feature more than 10,000 plants, shrubs and grasses that are found on New Zealand’s South Island. Read more about this exciting new project at SEFS’ Offshoots Blog. 

Reservoirs of silica-rich magma – the kind that causes the most explosive volcanic eruptions – can persist in Earth’s upper crust for hundreds of thousands of years without triggering an eruption, according to new University of Washington modeling research. Read more about this study, undertaken by ESS’ Sarah Gelman and others, in this UW News story.